Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Doll Skin-In Your Face EP

EMP Label Group/Cargo Records2015

Here's some free advice for all of you young people out there. Be sure to test the waters before you fully commit to that midnight swim. Case in point Doll Skin. I actually got this promo in my inbox a few days after I blindly downloaded it off of iTunes. I believed the hype surrounding it* and (like the idiot I am) hit "buy" without hearing a note. Had I actually listened to some sample cuts first I could have spared myself the trouble of filling up my music collection with more material that I will never listen to again. Further more had I simply waited a few days I could have saved myself some cash. It's not that band is terrible. It's just terribly over-hyped. This is merely a modern day take on punk rock that is supposed to be dangerous and rebellious. Instead it sounds like Avril Lavigne being told that she needs to sound more "metal". Simply put it's uninspiring and it makes me sad. Why sad? Well, take a minute or two to think of all of the really good punk and metal bands that you know who are unsigned. Now consider the fact that a band like this get's instantly scooped up. You see what I'm saying? I don't blame these young ladies obviously (especially seeing as what band wouldn't jump at the chance to have their EP produced by one of metal's true greats?), but I do blame an industry that couldn't see actual talent if it was standing a mere inches from it's face! Because frankly speaking folks the world needs another radio-friendly "punk" band like it needs another life destroying space meteorite!

*Here's the short version of the story. This teenage four-piece band was "discovered" by Megadeth's David Ellefson. You would have thought by the way that he raved about them that they were the next big thing in quirky, fun-loving punk rock. In fact Dave was such a fan of Doll Skin that he even went so far as to produce this EP here. All of which goes to show that there is no accounting for taste.

"So, in closing, fuck you METAL MARK. Fuck you, fuck Lynch Mob, and fuck your shitty website!”
“I don't know who this METAL MARK is, but I know better than to waste my time checking out anything else written by this asshole”
-Mike